A man from Rotoruan, New Zealand, has gone on hunger strike because the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) won't fund his weight-loss surgery.
Jason Patterson has been starving himself for five days.
"The first two to three days are really hard," he says. "I'm in this 100 percent now."
Mr Patterson is 130kg. He says he gained the weight after being put on
previous medication.
He now needs a hernia operation, which ACC has agreed to fund. But
before he can have the surgery, he has to lose at least 50kg.
"It's hopefully going to help me being on a hunger strike to lose
weight, because I need to lose weight before I have my hernia
operation."
Mr Patterson wants his gastric bypass surgery covered by ACC. He's made video diaries and created a fundraising website. But his case has been declined, so he's gone on hunger strike. "It's just to show how serious I am about getting the weight-loss surgery that I need." ACC says it has provided Mr Patterson with several options to help lose weight, like visiting a dietician and psychologist to support his well-being.
The agency says it's waiting for him to make a decision.
"I was hoping that they were going to give me the full package of the
surgery to move on so I could come to Rotorua, train here and get my
life back together."
Mr Patterson says he'll stay on strike in Rotoruan until Thursday. From there, he'll take his cause to Wellington to protest outside ACC's head office.
Mr Patterson wants his gastric bypass surgery covered by ACC. He's made video diaries and created a fundraising website. But his case has been declined, so he's gone on hunger strike. "It's just to show how serious I am about getting the weight-loss surgery that I need." ACC says it has provided Mr Patterson with several options to help lose weight, like visiting a dietician and psychologist to support his well-being.
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